Laundry: Hot, Warm or Cold?Laundry: Hot, Warm or Cold? Choosing the right wash-water temperature begins with these general guidelines:
1 Hot, Hot, Hot.Hot water is best for sturdy fabrics with ground-in or hard-to-remove dirt and stains.That said, you've probably noticed that few (if any) clothing labels recommend hot-water washing. Take heart: It's not because the fabric can't withstand the hot-water cleaning. Clothing manufacturers are apparently reluctant to recommend hot water cleaning even when the fabric is more than suitable - and in fact, would benefit from a stronger wash water temperature - for fear of liability. What liability, you might ask? Good question. The biggest "risk" is a color or "dye" transfer between items of different colors being washed together for which the washer (that's you) could ultimately hold the clothing manufacturer (that's them) financially responsible. Great, now we've got the legalese out of the way, let's get back to wash water temperatures. In short: Choose hot water for seriously soiled sturdy fabrics (jeans, cotton blends, synthetics and most whites) and to regularly disinfect dish towels, washcloths, bath towels, bedding and pillowcases, regardless of color. Oh, wait, just a little more legalese... 'Regardless of color' means it's OK to wash these items in hot water, but for best results, keep the whites separate from from dark blues and bright greens. At least in the machine. 2 Warm Water Wash.Warm water minimizes color fading and wrinkling, and does a good - though not great - job on seriously soiled clothes. Choose it for washing grungy synthetic fibers, natural and synthetic blends, and many moderately dirty clothes that are either delicate (think silks or satins) or 100 pure fibers, like cotton.3 Cold Water.Often know as the "safety" in the laundry room. Cold water will protect most dark or bright colored-clothing from running and fading, and it helps minimize shrinkage of washable cottons and woolens.Choose it for lightly soiled clothes, those with blood, wine, or coffee stains (stains that could set if washed in warm or hot water), regardless of fabric. Keep in mind here that while safe is often the best route, when it comes to your clothes, it understand that laundry detergents are designed to be activated by warmer temperatures. So if you're going the cold route, you'll need to bridge the gap by adding more laundry detergent than usual to get these clothes clean. If you're going to to do a cold-water wash on really grungy clothes, up the amount of laundry detergent. You'll need more detergent to get these items clean when washing them in cool water. Finally, if you do lots of cold-water washes, consider using a laundry detergent designed to work in all temperatures. 4 The Rinse Cycle Temperature: Always be Cool.When it comes to the rinse cycle, the choice is simple. Cold water saves energy (and money) and is fine for all types of loads. Custom Search 9 Common Stains and How to Remove Them
|
Sweater Cleaning Tips
Cashmere, wool, cotton - sweaters are a seasonal wardrobe staple. Keep them looking great with these
cleaning tips.
The Proper Care and Feeding of Towels
Keeping a thirsty new towel fluffy and absorbent takes just
a few simple laundry tips
to keep them feeling like new.
Laundry for Kids 101
Got kids? Then you've got laundry. Lots of it. Here's how to
get the kids involved.